Welcome to Grafilingua!
I've created this website to share with you three orthographies that I created for three beautiful languages: Sicilian, Venetian and Lombard.
Orthographies
Unified writing (Scrìviri unificatu)
Contemporary orthography (Ortografia de incœ)
Official spelling (Grafìa ufiçiałe)
Note: These spellings were created without any solid linguistic or cultural background (or at least I tried to create them that way), and they have virtually no chance of becoming official contenders for a standard spelling. However, if anyone reading this site likes the idea, feel free to promote it online so that others can discover it.
Thank you very much!
Unified writing (Sicilian)
Here's the spelling table.
| Grapheme | IPA sound | Examples | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | /a/ | a | a | — |
| b | /b/ | b | b | — |
| c | /k/, /tʃ/ | c | c | Like in Italian. |
| ch | /k/ | ch | ch | Like in Italian. |
| cchi | /cː/ | cchi | cchi | — |
| d | /d/ | d | d | — |
| dd | /ɖː~ɖʐ/ | dd | dd | — |
| dr | /ɖɽ~ɖʐ/ | dr | dr | — |
| e | /ɛ/, /e/ | e | e | — |
| f | /f/ | f | f | — |
| g | /ɡ/, /dʒ/ | g | g | Like in Italian. |
| gh | /ɡ/ | gh | gh | Like in Italian. |
| gghi | /ɟː/ | gghi | gghi | — |
| gn | /ɲ/ | gn | gn | — |
| h | ∅, /h/, /x/ | h | h | — |
| i | /i/, /ɪ/, /j/ | i | i | Like in Italian. |
| j | /j/ | j | j | Used in word-initial position. |
| l | /l/ | l | l | — |
| m | /m/ | m | m | — |
| n | /n/ | n | n | — |
| ng | /ŋ/ | ng | ng | — |
| o | /ɔ/, /o/ | o | o | — |
| p | /p/ | p | p | — |
| q | /k/ | q | q | Like in Italian. |
| r | /ɾ/, /r/, /ɽ/, /ɹ̝ː~ʐː/ | r | r | The sound /ɽ/ occurs after -d- and -t-, and the sound /r/ when the r is doubled at the beginning of a word, unless it represents the soft pronunciation of d (/ɾ/). |
| rr | /r/ | rr | rr | — |
| s | /s/, /z/ | s | s | Like in Italian. |
| sc(i) | /sk/, /ʃ/ | sc | sc | Like in Italian. |
| str | /ʂː(ɽ)/ | str | str | — |
| sdr | /ʐː(ɽ)/ | sdr | sdr | — |
| t | /t/ | t | t | — |
| tr | /ʈɽ~ʈʂ/ | tr | tr | — |
| u | /u/, /ʊ/, /w/ | u | u | — |
| v | /v/ | v | v | — |
| z | /ts/, /dz/ | z | z | Like in Italian. |
| ç, χ (dialectal) | /ç/ | ç | ç | Used in Calabrian dialect. Both letters can be used (personal preference). |
| ḍḍ (dialectal) | /ɖː~ɖʐ/ | ḍḍ | ḍḍ | Used to distinguish between the "dental" d and the "retroflex" d. |
| ë (dialectal) | /ə/ | ë | ë | — |
| x (dialectal) | /ʃ/ | x | x | — |
Contemporary orthography (Lombard)
Here's the spelling table.
| Grapheme | IPA sound | Examples | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | /a/ | a | a | — |
| aa | /a:/ | aa | aa | — |
| b | /b/, /p/ | b | b | Devoiced in word-final position. |
| c | /k/, /tʃ/ | c | c | Like in Italian. |
| ch | /k/ | ch | ch | Like in Italian. |
| cc, ç | /tʃ/ | cc, ç | cc, ç | Used in word-final position. Both letters can be used (personal preference). |
| d | /d/, /t/, ∅ | d | d | Devoiced in word-final position. |
| e | /ɛ/, /e/, ∅ | e | e | — |
| ee | /e:/ | ee | ee | — |
| f | /f/, /θ/, /h/ | f | f | Pronounced like /θ/ in some varieties. Aspirated in /h/ in some varieties. |
| g | /ɡ/, /dʒ/, /k/ | g | g | Like in Italian. Devoiced in word-final position. |
| gh | /ɡ/ | gh | gh | Like in Italian. |
| gg | /dʒ/ | gg | gg | Used in word-final position. |
| gn | /ɲ/ | gn | gn | — |
| h | ∅ | h | h | — |
| i | /i/, /j/ | i | i | Like in Italian. |
| ii | /i:/ | ii | ii | — |
| j | /j/, /ʎ/ | j | j | — |
| l | /l/, /r/ | l | l | It may not be pronounced in word-final position. |
| ll | /l/ | ll | ll | Never used in word-initial position. |
| m | /m/, /◌̃/ | m | m | At the end of a syllable, it may cause the preceding vowel to become nasalized. |
| n | /n/, /◌̃/, /ŋ/ | n | n | At the end of a syllable, it may cause the preceding vowel to become nasalized or change to /ŋ/. The sound /n/ becomes /ŋ/ before /k/ and /g/. |
| nn | /n/ | nn | nn | Used in word-final position. |
| o | /ɔ/, /o/ | o | o | — |
| oo | /o:/ | oo | oo | — |
| œ, ö | /ø/, /œ/ | œ, ö | œ, ö | Both letters can be used (personal preference). |
| œu, öö | /ø:/ | œu, öö | œu, öö | Both letters can be used (personal preference). |
| p | /p/ | p | p | — |
| q | /k/ | q | q | Like in Italian. |
| r | /r/ | r | r | It may not be pronounced in word-final position. |
| rr | /r/ | rr | rr | It shortens the preceding vowel. |
| s | /s/, /z/, /h/ | s | s | Like in Italian. Aspirated in /h/ in some varieties. |
| ss | /s/ | ss | ss | Used in intervocalic position. |
| sc(i) | /ʃ/ ~ /s/ ~ /tʃ/, /h/ | sc | sc | Like in Italian. Aspirated in /h/ in some varieties. |
| s'c(i) | /stʃ/ | sc | sc | — |
| sg(i) | /ʒ/ ~ /z/ ~ /dʒ/ | sg | sg | — |
| s'g(i) | /zdʒ/ | sg | sg | — |
| t | /t/ | t | t | — |
| u | /u/, /w/ | u | u | — |
| uu | /u:/ | uu | uu | — |
| ü | /y/ | ü | ü | — |
| üü | /y:/ | üü | üü | — |
| v | /v/, /f/, ∅, /w/ | v | v | Devoiced in word-final position. |
| z | /ts/~/s/, /dz/ ~ /z/, /h/ | z | z | Like in Italian. Aspirated in /h/ in some varieties. |
| zz | /ts/~/s/, /h/ | zz | zz | Used in intervocalic position. Aspirated in /h/ in some varieties. |
| ä (dialectal) | /æ/ | ä | ä | Rare; used in Ticinese and Comasco dialects. |
| ää (dialectal) | /æ:/ | ää | ää | Rare; used in Ticinese and Comasco dialects. |
Official spelling (Venetian)
Here's the spelling table.
| Grapheme | IPA sound | Examples | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | /a/ | a | a | — |
| b | /b/ | b | b | — |
| c | /k/, /tʃ/ | c | c | Like in Italian. |
| ch | /k/ | ch | ch | Like in Italian. |
| c' | /tʃ/ | c' | c' | Used in word-final position. |
| ç | /ts/ ~ /θ/ ~ /s/ | ç | ç | — |
| d | /d/ | d | d | — |
| e | /ɛ/, /e/ | e | e | — |
| f | /f/ | f | f | — |
| g | /ɡ/, /dʒ/ | g | g | Like in Italian. |
| gh | /ɡ/ | gh | gh | Like in Italian. |
| gn | /ɲ/ | gn | gn | — |
| h | ∅, /h/ | h | h | — |
| i | /i/, /j/ | i | i | Like in Italian. |
| j, i | /j/ | j | j | — |
| j, g(i) | /j/~/dʒ/ | j, g(i) | j, g(i) | — |
| l | /l/ | l | l | — |
| ł | /e̯/, ∅, /l/ | ł | ł | — |
| li, j, lg(i) | /l.j/ ~ /j/ ~ /l.dʒ/ | li, j, lg(i) | li, j, lg(i) | — |
| m | /m/ | m | m | — |
| n | /n/, /ŋ/ | n | n | Before vowels, it sounds like /n/; elsewhere, it sounds like /ŋ/. |
| n' | /n/ | n' | n' | Used at the end of a syllable. |
| ni, ng(i) | /ŋ.j/~/ŋ.dʒ/ | ni, ng(i) | ni, ng(i) | — |
| o | /ɔ/, /o/ | o | o | — |
| p | /p/ | p | p | — |
| q | /k/ | q | q | Like in Italian. |
| r | /r/ | r | r | — |
| ri, rg(i) | /r.j/~/r.dʒ/ | ri, rg(i) | ri, rg(i) | — |
| s | /s/, /z/ | s | s | Before voiced consonants, it sounds like /z/; elsewhere, it sounds like /s/. |
| t | /t/ | t | t | — |
| u | /u/, /w/ | u | u | — |
| v | /v/ | v | v | — |
| x | /z/ | x | x | — |
| z | /dz/ ~ /ð/ ~ /z/ | z | z | — |
| â (dialectal) | /ˈɐ/ ~ /ˈʌ/ ~ /ˈɨ/ | â | â | — |
| ø (dialectal) | /ˈø/ | ø | ø | — |
| y, ý (dialectal) | /ˈy/ | y, ý | y, ý | — |
| lj, gli (dialectal) | /ʎ/ | lj | lj | — |
| sj (dialectal) | /ʃ/ | sj | sj | — |
| xj (dialectal) | /ʒ/ | xj | xj | — |